BRISTOL -- A convicted drug dealer from Waterbury argued with his wife, ingested drugs and was acting bizarrely Monday night before slashing a baby girl to death with a kitchen knife, according to police reports obtained Tuesday.

Arthur Hapgood, 36, of 141 Draher St., was charged with murder in the slaying of 1-year-old Zaniyah Calloway. The little girl was found Monday night at a multi-family home on Park Street at about 7:30 p.m. with a gruesome slash wound to her body.

Police found a naked Hapgood, who they say blurted out to an officer that he had stabbed the girl. He told the officer he had taken drugs; when asked which ones, he replied: “All of them.”

Hapgood was arraigned Tuesday morning in Bristol Superior Court, where applause erupted from the back of the room when a judge set his bond at $2.5 million.

Hapgood was apparently at the Bristol home because he and his wife separated following a domestic fight in Waterbury on Sunday night. Hapgood's wife told police he had punched her in the eye and mouth during the fight and he left their home to stay at his mom's apartment in Bristol.

Hapgood's wife drove to the apartment with her daughter to drop off clothes for him on Monday, according to the police reports. When she arrived at the ground-floor apartment, Hapgood apologized in an attempt to fix their marriage, she told police.

He stepped outside to smoke marijuana, but his demeanor changed when he returned. When she told him she was leaving, she told police, “his face changed” and he became violent, hitting his nephew, who was also in the apartment.

Hapgood's nephew and another boy tried to hold Hapgood down as he flailed his arms, giving the woman a chance to escape. When they couldn't restrain him any longer, Hapgood stood, grabbed a knife from the kitchen and slashed at the baby, who was being held at the time by Hapgood's stepdaughter, reports indicate.

Police arrived to find a naked Hapgood standing in the doorway of the apartment, but he retreated back into the apartment and shut the door as an officer pointed his sidearm at him. Hapgood eventually surrendered and walked out with his hands up.

Hapgood admitted to the stabbing, and police seized a bloody kitchen knife from the home, reports indicate.

Although a family member gathered the wounded infant in his arms to carry her to first responders, she didn't have a pulse. She was airlifted to a children's hospital in Hartford where surgeons tried to save her life, but she was pronounced dead nearly three hours after the violent episode.

A dazed-looking Hapgood was led into Bristol Superior Court on Tuesday morning, shuffling forward in a pair of red socks.

His hands were shackled to a chain at his waist, where his love handles spilled over the waist of a pair of ill-fitting gray track pants as he stood in front of Judge Robyn Johnson.

As the hearing proceeded, Juan Negron, a skinny man with braids who was seated in the audience, whimpered, and at one point begged Hapgood to look at him. He later said he was Zaniyah's uncle.

“I just want justice, that's it,” Negron said.

Police have said Hapgood was the child's uncle and was babysitting her Monday, but Negron was adamant that Hapgood is not related to the child.

Hapgood's criminal record dates back to the 1990s and includes convictions for carrying a pistol without a permit, robbery and selling narcotics. He had recently served prison time after a 2008 drug conviction that stemmed from a police operation that netted 50 street-level dealers in Waterbury.

Court records indicate he was still on probation when he was arrested Monday. Documents also show Hapgood was working for a window washer in Danbury.

In addition to murder, Hapgood was charged with reckless endangerment and risk of injury to a child, as police say an 11-year-old boy was in the home at the time. Hapgood, who is being represented by a public defender, did not enter pleas.

Although Hapgood was initially placed on a suicide watch, his attorney asked for that restriction to be removed.

If convicted of the murder charge, Hapgood faces up to life in prison. He is due back in court on Sept. 9.

Follow Us

Below me wrote on Aug 19, 2014 9:05 AM:

" What a coward, when are we going to demand these monsters are hung up on the town green. "

" This has to be one of the most disturbing and despicable things I've seen and, unfortunately, in this we've seen our share. It really takes a special kind of broken to harm any child in ANY way, certainly an innocent 1-yr old little girl. I can't comprehend or even imagine any scenario that would warrant introducing a damn knife into the situation, and the reports so far aren't exactly leaning towards an accident. Considering CT has unfortunately abolished the death sentence this scumbag, (I don't see the word Man being appropriate here), this scumbag needs to be punished to the full extent of the law, no deal, no bargain, Maximum sentence on all charges, ran consecutively. To whoever reads this, please include this little 1 year old Zaniyah Calloway and her family in your prayers tonite.. "

" There is no place in hell that is hot enough for a scumbag like this. Oh wait he had a tough life as a youngster and was never able to overcome that upbringing!! Give me a break!! Kill him slowly!! real slow "

Post a reader comment

We encourage your feedback and dialog. Please be civil and respectful.If you're witty, to the point and quotable, your reader comments may also be included on the Around the Towns page of The Sunday Republican. Readers must be registered and logged in to post comments on the site. Registration is free. Click Here to register.
A Subscription is not required to post comments only a Registration.